Resilient chain post peeler



ay 15, 1951 w, p wm 2,552,526 I v RESILIENT CHAIN POST PEELER Filed April 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheei; 1

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1N VEN TOR.

M y 15, 1951 w. N. DARWIN 2,552,526

RESILIENT cum: POST PEELER Filed April 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u I.

IN V EN TOR.

Patented May 15, 1951 RESILIENT CHAIN POST PEELER William N. Darwin, Norris, Tenn., assignor to Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation of the United States Application April 5, 1-950, Serial No. 154,123

w 1 Claim.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for govermnental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for rossing bark, particularly from small logs such as fence posts. 1

There has long been a brisk demand for fence posts treated with preservatives. In part this has resulted from the gradual adoption of better land-management policy which requires area control and hence more fences. Local supplies of species of timber suitable for home manufacture into durable fence posts have been gradually but steadily decreasing over much of the country, although timber-producing area frequently have available young trees which require thinning for best utilization of forested areas. Since young trees below the size required for pulpwood or saw logs are usually straight, strong, and have high sapwood content, they are particularly adapted for utilization as fence posts. The high sapwood content of such young timber is a very important advantage in treatment with preservative. Many communities where there are considerable stands of timber have adopted the production of fence posts as a community project.

In preparing such timber for treatment with preservatives, it is necessary that all bark be removed. The presence of even the thin inner bark will prevent practically any known preservative from penetrating the wood. Hand peeling usually results in imperfectly cleaned posts, and except in areas having a plentiful supply of cheap labor is too expensive to be feasible.

Several general types of machines are used for rossing bark from postsv Among these are friction-type machines comprising heavy drums which are partially filled with posts and rotated, thus removing the bark by friction and impact with other posts. This type of machine is characterized by heavy weight and high power requirements.

Another type of machine is that which removes bark by hammering or flailing it off. Lightweight machines of this type have been built and the power requirements are low, but such machines usually leave much to be desired from the standpoint of durability and also leave sapwood in a roughened and splintery condition.

The third general type of machine in use is that in which bark is removed by cutting elements. Such machines frequently fail to remove bark from around knots and other protected places unless a considerable quantity of the examended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) terior wood is also cut away, resulting in the loss of much sapwood.

It is an object of this invention to provide a machine of resilient chain type for rossing bark in which long wear of chains and easy, convenient maintenance are inherent.

Another object is to provide a machine for rossing bark which is strong and serviceable, simple and economical in construction, and which has the particular advantageous relationship of parts shown and described.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

I have found that these objects are attained in a machine for rossing bark which comprises in combination a central rotatably mounted shaft; means comprising a motor for rotating the shaft disposed in driving relationship therewith; two end members, namely a first end member and a second end member rigidly attached to and carried by such shaft, disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from each other, each end memher having a plurality of openings therethrough disposed substantially in the circumference of a smaller circle having the longitudinal axis of the shaft at its center and substantially in the circumference of a larger concentric circle; an even number of chains disposed in pairs of adjacent chains between opposing faces of said members, one chain of each pair disposed substantially in a straight line extending from said larger circle on said first end member to said smaller circle on said second end member, the other chain of each pair disposed substantially in a straight line extending from said smaller circle on said first end member to said larger circle on said second end member; and means for maintaining tension on said chains, comprising a plurality of link-engaging members singly disposed to engage each end link of each chain and to project through an opening in an end member adjacent thereto and a plurality of resilient members singly disposed to exert tension on each of said link-engaging members.

In the attached drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of one type of machine embodying the principles of my invention, as taken on the line 1-4 in Figure 2; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same machine; Figure an end elevation thereof, but omitting some of the debarking chains; and Figure 4 is a detail showing one pair of chains in relationship to the central shaft and end members thereon.

In Figure 1 the reference numeral 5 designates a central shaft. Shaft is rotatably mounted in bearings 6, supported by a suitable framework 1. A means for rotating shaft 5 is provided and may preferably include pulley 53 mounted in driving relationship on shaft 5, belt 9, pulley I53, and motor H. Motor H may be mounted on framework 1, or a tractor motor may be used if desired. Two end members it are rigidly attached to and carried by shaft 5. Members 14 are disposed substantially parallel to each other and are spaced from each other at a distance greater than the diameter of the largest log to be operated on. An even number of chains iii are disposed in pairs between confronting faces of members I4. A plurality of link-engaging members shown as U-bolts It are singly disposed to engage each end link of each chain. Eye bolts or hooks may be substituted for U-bolts [5 if desired.

Each end member M has a plurality of openings therethrough adapted tov receive link-engaging members IS. These openings are arranged substantially in the circumferences of two concentriccircles of unequal diameters, each circle having the longitudinal axis of shaft 5 at its center. One chain of each pair is disposed to extend in a substantially straight line from the smaller circle on one of members it to the larger concentric circle on, the opposite member Hi. The other chain of each pair is disposed to can tend from the larger concentric circle on one of members i l to the smaller circle on the opposite member. The chains in each pair are disposed-adjacent to each other and cross each other substantially .at their midpoints.

A plurality of resilient members, shown as coiled springs l9, are disposed upon that part or parts of each link-engaging member. IE which projects through a member M on the side of member I4 opposite to the chain. A plurality of link-retaining members I? are singly disposed on the ends of members iii. A plurality of rollers 25 are disposed in suitable frameworks 2E and 2'! to serve as guides for logs and as means for advancing and retracting logs in contact with chains [5.

Figure 4 shows the arrangement of one pair of chains in detail. In this figure resilient members 30 are substituted for coil springs is of Figure 1. Members 36 may preferably be sections of resilient hose cut in convenient lengths. Such hose sections have been found to be as effective as coil springs in maintaining proper tension upon chains 55, and under many conditions will wear longer than coil springs.

Figure 2, a side elevation of the'apparatus shown in plan in Figure 1, illustrates a preferred arrangement of guide rollers 25 with relationship to the rotary assembly of chains. It is preferable to have several such rollers, some of them supported at a level above that of the rotating chains on a support such as 2%, and others supported below the chain assembly on suitable supports such as supports 27.

Figure 3, an end elevation of the apparatus of Figure 2, shows a convenient vertical spacing of such guide rollers in relation to the rot ting assembly. In this figure a number of chains i 5 are omitted from the drawing in the interest of clarity. a

In operation, shaft 5 and the rotary assembly carried by it are rotated at fairly high speed, preferably at about 600 to 800 R. P. ,M. Relatively heavy logs such as those of 4-inch diameterare placed on rollers 25 supported above the,

rotating assembly comprising chains and are pushed forward, preferably by the hand of the operator. The log is guided into contact with the rapidly moving taut chains and the bark is quickly removed by rubbing action of such chains, leaving the sapwood in smooth condition. The log is rotated horizontally and drawn back and forth by the operator. When bark has been removed from one end of the log, the log is reversed and the process is repeated.

When light logs such as those 3 inches in diameter or less are to be rcssed, I have found that, their weight is often not sufiicient to enable them to be rossed successfully in this manner. Such lack of weight causes light logs to bounce up and down under the impact of each pair of chains, thus converting the smooth rubring action of the chains into a beating action. The latter removes bark rapidly enough, but has the disadvantage of leaving the sapwood in a roughened and splintery condition.

Whensuch light logs are to be rossed it is better to support the log upon the guide rollers 25 on supports 2'? located below the rotating chain assembly. The operator may exert upward pres sure upon the log by downward pressure upon the external end thereof, if necessary. Hemay thus use rollers 25 supported by the uppermostof supports 27 as the fulcrum of a lever consisting of the log being rossed, easily maintaining sufficient upward pressure upon that part being operated upon to prevent beating action of the chains. The method of operation is otherwise the same as that for heavier logs described above.

The apparatus shown and described has a number of advantages which make it desirable for farm use. It issimple, cheap in construction, and of very light weight as compared to other machines of similar capacity. The parts subjected to greatest wear are short sections of chain, readily available almost everywhere. I have found that the described construction in which chains are maintained under tension increases the period of wear of chains by several hundred per cent as compared to slack chains, and provides for ease in replacement when necessary. Operation as described. above results in complete removal of bark with minimum damage to sapwood and is as effective on crooked logs as on straight ones. Bark is efiectively removed from around knots and protubei'ances without cutting any sapwood.

I claim as my invention:

A machine of the class described which comprises, in combination, a central. rotatably mounted shaft; means, comprising a motor, "for rotating the shaft; two end members, namely a first .end member anda second end member, rigidly attached to and carried by said shaft, disposed substantially parallel to and spacedfrom each other, each end member having a plurality of openings therethrough disposed substantially in the circumferences of two concentric circles having unequal diameters, each circle having the longitudinal axis of the shaft at its center; an even number of chains disposed in pairs of adjacent chains between confronting faces of said end members, one chain of each pair being disposed substantially in a straight line extending fromsaidlarger circle on said first end member to said smaller circle on said second end .member, the other chain of each pair being disposed substantially in a straight line extending from posed to exert tension on each of said link-em gaging members.

WILLIAM N. DARWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 5 2,483,338 Douglas Sept. 27, 1949 2,520,421 Mathewson et a1. Aug. 29, 1950 10 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Sweden June 22, 1948 

